A Close Connection: HBCUs and the Clean Energy Industry

Hello partners and Happy Black History Month!

I am so excited to be celebrating yet another Black History Month with you all. This year is shaping up to be one of transition and reflection. Why do I say that?

Well, it is really difficult for me to think yet another year has passed, and we are already in 2023! On a personal note, it is equally as difficult to think I have a child that is in his junior year of high school, and we are beginning our journey to find the right college to suit him. Our search has leaned almost exclusively toward Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Before I go any further, what is an HBCU? According to The Department of Education, an HBCU is an institution that was founded in 1964 or prior and with the purpose of educating African Americans (What is an HBCU? Everything you need to know about historically Black colleges or universities, 2022). There are more than 100 HBCUs in the United States and you do not have to be African American to attend one. In fact, HBCUs have always welcomed anyone who wished to attend no matter their race. Roughly 74% of students enrolled at an HBCU are black, the remaining 26% are students of other races and that number continues to grow each year (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.).

The reason our search is focused on HBCUs is because these schools often uphold principles that we value as a family and have worked hard to instill in our children. It is also important that our child has a culturally enriching experience with individuals that he can see a reflection of himself in. Additionally, these schools often tend to operate with a “small institution” mentality. What I mean by that is, they are heavily invested in the overall success of their students so that the likelihood of a student getting lost in the anonymity of a large campus is not as great as with other institutions. As we are preparing my son for his transition from high school to college, I cannot help but to reflect upon his education and employment prospects that will come, largely, as a result of the opportunities that are afforded by the college we ultimately select.

Last year for Black History Month, we talked about the clean energy employment marketplace. Specifically, we discussed the disproportionate negative environmental effects the energy industry has on communities of color and the lack of representation of people of color in those jobs. We also talked about how beneficial clean energy jobs can be for diverse communities. For example, these jobs tend to be higher earning, not to mention the greater potential for equitable decision-making at the highest levels if more people of color were in leadership positions.

These are all issues that swim around in my head on any given sleepless night because the question still looms: how are we addressing this issue? The first step to solving a problem is identifying it. The next step is the action you take to solve the issue. THIS is where HBCUs come into play.

I would like to qualify that there is no one answer that will address this issue in totality. However, there are signs we are moving in the right direction. One example is with recent legislation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which was signed into law in November 2021, provides funding opportunities in the form of grants for HBCUs to develop programs to groom the next generation of clean energy engineers. These programs include the Energy Storage Pilot Grant Program, Industrial Assessment Program (IAC), Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, Thriving Communities Initiative, as well as other grants totaling roughly $2.75 billion through the states to support the closure of the digital divide and promote equity (HBCU's Critical Role in Building a Better America, 2022).

To spotlight a couple of the grant programs I just listed: The Energy Storage Pilot Grant Program seeks to release $105 million and encourages HBCUs to apply as lead applicants to develop a demonstration project that proves the commercial viability of new energy storage technology. These projects would include the feasibility of microgrids and ways to reduce a home’s peak energy load or improve the speed of an electric vehicle charging station. The Department of Energy’s Industrial Assessment Program (IAC) leverages the BIL at the community college and trade school level already. The IAC partners with colleges to provide free in-depth energy efficiency evaluations for small and medium sized manufacturers. These assessments are conducted by engineering faculty and students from participating universities and seeks to increase HBCU participation (HBCU's Critical Role in Building a Better America, 2022).

Many experts believe that HBCUs are well positioned to prepare the next generation of workers to fill the positions needed as our economy shifts from fossil fuels to renewable energy. “…as the nation pivots from traditional fossil fuels to renewable power the market will be flooded with jobs that require skill sets that many HBCUs are already providing through programs in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields” (Floyd, 2022). In fact, there are impressive numbers being reported from HBCUs. “17 percent of all bachelor’s degrees and 24 percent of all STEM-related bachelor’s degrees earned by Black students in the United States were conveyed by HBCUs... And HBCUs have graduated 40% of all Black engineers...” (How HBCUs can accelerate Black economic mobility, 2021)

The landscape is changing on many levels and if we remain mindful and purposeful of our trajectory, there can be amazing outcomes. It seems as though the pieces of this puzzle are beginning to fall into place, and I am looking forward to a more diverse energy sector and a more equitable economic landscape for everyone.

Happy Black History Month!

Works Cited

Floyd, J. (2022, February 9). HBCUs at the forefront of emerging industry of renewable energy. Retrieved from The Grio: https://thegrio.com/2022/02/09/hbcus-renewable-energy/

HBCU's Critical Role in Building a Better America. (2022, October 31). Retrieved from The White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/briefing-room/2022/10/31/hbcus-critical-role-in-building-a-better-america/

How HBCUs can accelerate Black economic mobility. (2021, July 30). Retrieved from McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/how-hbcus-can-accelerate-black-economic-mobility

National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from Historically Black Colleges and Universities: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=667#:~:text=Although%20HBCUs%20were%20originally%20founded,percent%20in%201976%20(source).

What is an HBCU? Everything you need to know about historically Black colleges or universities. (2022, August 28). Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/08/28/what-is-hbcu-black-college-university/10240301002/